Air Quality Updates: November 15-20

November 16, 2018

Good morning SSD Families,

We know you are concerned about the current air quality, and we too share your concern.

We continued to monitor the Air Quality Index through the night and early this morning. While the AQI was rising for Santa Clara County yesterday evening, it has begun to drop in the early morning hours. We remained in contact with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and the Santa Clara County Office of Education throughout the night in order to make the best decisions about the safety of our students and staff.

At this time, we are following the advice of the Public Health Department, and they remain firm that the current numbers do not warrant a school closure. We believe our schools provide a safe, secure location for our students under the current circumstances.

We are aware that many local colleges, universities and private schools have elected to close their doors. However, we do believe, based on the advice of public health officials and our ability to limit outside activities, that our schools remain safe and provide consistency for students. That said, we respect the individual decisions that families make. And so, while our doors will remain open, we understand that some families may choose to keep their student at home based on medical advice related to health issues or family hardship. If choosing to keep your student at home, please follow the normal procedure for reporting, and absences for the above reasons will be excused.

The following procedures will remain in place to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff. Students and staff will remain indoors during instruction time, as well as during lunch and break times. Classrooms and indoor spaces will remain available during breaks so that students and staff limit their exposure to the air. We will be continuing limitations on physical education activities and after-school sporting events.Whether you are at home or at school we recommend that you follow the environmental advice provided by AirNow.gov<http://AirNow.gov>.

We will continue to monitor conditions over the weekend to be prepared to share information with you about any changes to the FUHSD school schedule on Monday. At this time, FUHSD plans to be open Monday and for the remainder of the week leading up to the Thanksgiving Holiday. CUSD schools are closed all next week for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

When you are at home, please follow these recommendations:

Stay indoors in an area with filtered air. Particle pollution can get indoors, so consider purchasing an air cleaner if you live in an area with high levels of particle pollution.

Air cleaners that remove particles include high-efficiency mechanical filters and electronic air cleaners, such as electrostatic precipitators. Avoid using an air cleaner that works by generating ozone, which will increase the pollution in your home.

If you do not have air cleaners in your home, try to go somewhere that does have air filtration. This could, for example, be a friend’s home, if it has air filtration.

Watch your child for symptoms including coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. Even children who do not have asthma can experience these symptoms.

If symptoms occur, your child might need to take a break, do a less intense activity, stop all activity, go indoors, or use quick-relief medicine as prescribed. If symptoms don’t improve, get medical help.

As always, we appreciate your understanding and support in this difficult situation.